We are very much a school that seeks to develop the whole student – not just in terms of academia, but also in terms of softer skills which are equally important as the students moving into post-school life.
Our Sixth Form Enrichment programme has had to be narrowed this year due to the COVID restrictions but we still have a wide range on offer and our students are keen to build up their CV and expertise as they look towards their next steps.
The following examples give you an insight into what different students do in their Enrichment and what they get out of it:
Josh Williams – Peer Mentor:
“For enrichment I was a peer mentor, which involved spending time with lower school students and helping them to further their reading ability as well as increasing their confidence and range of vocabulary. Sessions take place once a week in the library, usually during form time, and allow students time to read a book that they actually wanted read (provided that it was challenging enough) and enjoy that book. Not only was this time useful for the lower school students, but I feel that it was useful for me as it allowed me to further my own confidence and social skills, as I would be frequently mentoring students that I had never spoken to before. Overall, I feel that the enrichment sessions went well and were a very effective use of time for both me and the lower school students that were a part of the initiative.”
Josh Allen – School Librarian:
“I chose to be a librarian because it has enabled me to develop both my organisational and people skills. My role as a librarian included the tasks of: checking in and out books, helping younger students with any enquiries they may have and guiding pupils to specific parts of the library depending on the kind of book they were hoping for. It has been a great experience as it’s taught me the skills of communication, observation and administration skills. It has also allowed me to improve my teamwork skills as I’ve had to work alongside the librarian and other students. These skills will be incredibly useful with my further education and job opportunities.”
Alex Long – Sports Leader:
“I thoroughly enjoyed Sports Leaders and I found it very beneficial. We gained experience arranging a cross – country event for younger pupils from the Friary and King Edwards. We then acted as officials in the event, to guide those competing on where to go and motivate them as they do so. Furthermore, we had the opportunity to arrange and deliver 10 sessions (of a sport of our choosing) to a group of young players. I chose to do football, and I enjoyed the whole experience of arranging and teaching a lesson. Overall, I found the course enjoyable as well as useful in giving me key life skills in coaching as well as being responsible for a group of young people. I would highly recommend choosing Sports Leaders as an enrichment as it has enabled me to develop skills that I might not otherwise have had the opportunity to learn about.”
Ethan Hopcott – LAMDA:
“LAMDA is a way to progress your knowledge and understanding of the performing arts sector. It is a fun and interesting look into a possible future job opportunity, such as singing/acting as well as other roles in that field. Not only do you learn new skills, and have new experiences, you finish the course with a qualification that can help you in future life. It is really rewarding because you spend your time doing the thing you love, with likeminded people who want to excel in similar fields. This can be useful because you can learn new skills and improve your existing skills, which are both useful and give you confidence when applying for jobs or courses in the future.”
Josh Bramall – EPQ :
“Selecting this enrichment course has fit well with my other combination of subjects – helping me to develop my research, analytical and reporting skills. EPQ takes the form of a project that requires students to become independent thinkers who evaluate their own work critically and critique the research that they find. I have found my ability to organise my studies, write more maturely and academically, and research effectively have all improved as a result of this course. My qualification in EPQ is a great addition to my UCAS applications and showcases a level of academic research equivalent to that of undergraduate study – something I am keen to pursue next year. I would highly recommend this course.”
Lucy Stothert: – Further Maths:
“It allows you to build on your maths skills and allows you to become more logical and analytical in your response to problems. It has allowed me to grow in confidence in maths and the teachers are extremely supportive; they make it a great environment in which to seek support and stretch yourself. I chose it because I wanted to help solidify my maths A level course and I have really enjoyed the content so far. It will be incredibly useful when I apply to undertake my prospective medical degree at university, where the key skills acquired in further maths will be put to use.”
Corey Overton – Connect Cafe:
“This enrichment opportunity involved me supervising and running a lunch time space for the lower school to socialise at lunch time. This was specifically arranged for those younger pupils who perhaps needed a quieter place to spend their lunch time, who enjoyed playing board games, drawing or quiet reading. This also gave younger pupils the opportunity to speak to sixth formers for advice, academic support or simply to meet and make new friends with peers of their own year group. It has been really rewarding to spend time with the lower school pupils, helping them when needed and giving back to them the support that I once received when I was their age.”
Carrie Cain, Assistant Headteacher, said: “It is easy to look at our exam results and think everything must be going well, but we appreciate that education is about more than just a score in a test. These experience only add to the portfolio of every student and it is great to hear what a positive impact tour enrichment activities have on our students’ respective confidence, surety and wider development.”
